Page 12 of Unexpected Alpha's Claim

It was like I had dipped my tongue into a vat of sweet caramel and it was still dripping down my throat. Intoxicating, lush, and indescribably rich, I preferred it over a millionth stride through a forest I had known since childhood. I wanted to savor that taste for as long as possible, postponing its fading away because I knew it would be the last time. Maybe, I hoped, that letting it linger would help me remember what she was like in the years to come. Whenever I’d get lonely, I could bring that memory back to my mind and recall how it felt to touch a real woman.

There were not too many of those in Dawson. In truth, there were too many Omegas to choose from: submissive females, every one of them eager to please. Except it was not due to the feelings in their hearts, but due to their natures. According to them, they were not worthy, which meant they were there to serve the worthy ones. It sounded miserable, and I had seen enough to know it was. A bunch of perfectly good-looking women, acting as if they didn’t stand a chance of finding a mate who would value them.

Regardless of my situation with Monica though, another picture was also swirling in my thoughts. The red flash I had seen haunted my thoughts. Unable to explain it, I had already spent hours trying to make sense of it. In the end, there could be only one explanation. Some type of magical creature had selected the Catskills for their next game.

As a kind, we never appreciated witches, warlocks, or wizards. Although we knew that we were a product of witchcraft, we nevertheless considered practitioners greedy and devious. Magic users were deceptive humans who would bend just about anybody to their will to get whatever they wanted from them.

My own family had a history with a witch. My late grandfather had been rumored to have dated a witch in his youth. I remembered asking him multiple times about her. Every time I did though all I managed to do was spoil his good mood. He was a happy man, but, somehow, reminiscing about her always took away his smile. Every time I brought it up, he would look away and speak to one of my brothers instead.

I couldn’t let this go. I had to find out more, for the safety of the pack. Had to know if there was something real to bring to the Alpha, which required evidence. I couldn’t do this alone, though. If it was a magical creature of some kind, there was too much risk in going alone. I’d have to convince Sam and Ray to follow me back to investigate the woods outside Northern Thicket.

“You’re kidding, right?” Sam said, leaning against the bare frame of our next project and sipping a beer.

“No,” I said, shaking my head.

“Is that why you left so early and didn’t return?” Ray asked.Too close to the truth.Rather than answer with an outright lie I shrugged noncommittally. “I mean, we all heard the stories about Gramps.”

“Yeah, but they were stories,” Sam argued. “Not real. I mean, it could be anything. Hell, it could be a UFO for all you know.”

“Not UFO anymore,” Ray said, shaking his head.

“What does that mean and besides that, who cares?” Sam snapped.

“UAP’s, just saying, use the term right,” Ray argued.

This was going to build fast and derail the entire point if I didn’t stop it now, so I stepped between the two of them. They might be in human form, but I could feel their hackles raising as they prepared to throw down over something so stupid only brothers could justify it.

“Enough,” I snapped, my voice low and edging into a growl. “This is important. I can’t present this to the Alpha without knowing more. You’re right Sam, it could be anything.” He snorted and gave Ray an “I told you so look”. “But you’re right too Ray, they have redefined the terms.” Ray gave a sharp hah sound. “But it doesn’t matter because this wasn’t aerial. It was on the ground. And we need to know. This could threaten the entire pack.”

“Fine,” Sam acquiesced first.

“Sure,” Ray said then drained his beer. “But one rule, we go in wolf.”

“I hate to say it, but I agree,” Sam said.

“Fine,” I agreed.

None of us had crossed paths with a magical creature before and because of that, all our discussions about them had always been full of ridicule. After entering adulthood, whenever terms like “witch” or “wizard” were brought up, we’d all laughed about it. I hoped that would hold. Because if not, this could be a big problem. And I’d rather not have to deal with the Alpha.

And I wasn’t going to argue about going in wolf. We would get there faster in wolf form, and we were much stronger than in our human shape. Besides in wolf our speed and endurance would allow us to pull away with safety, just in case. To me, it was a no-brainer. Our safety was paramount. If the wolf could guarantee it, he would be the one in charge.

We stripped at the back of the garage then emerged outside and shifted. Under a starry, moonless sky, three lupines galloped up the hill, our tails swishing behind. Leading our small pack, my wolf yipped, avoiding the thorns of a bush with a jump. A sea of trees filled my line of sight, I barked. I wasn’t looking to hide from anybody. On the contrary, I was trying to make my presence known.

Loping around the trees, Sam, Ray and I scanned the forest floor. Leaves, scattered pieces of brush, parts of twigs, and small bushes comprised a rather dull picture. A mere look up at the massive trees eliminated any question of what I had seen. I hadn’t been mistaken. There was someone in the woods. On a thick branch of a balsam fir tree, dressed in a black cloak, a redheaded woman with a staff in her grasp was making direct eye contact with me.

“Pups will always be pups…” Voice and color together confirmed my suspicions. Her voice was feathery, only this time, dripping with irony. With a snap of her fingers, she was gone from the tree, and in an instant, she was five feet away on my side. “Let’s see if you’ve got the heart to take me on, cowards.”

The word alone was enough to have driven the three of us berserk. We didn’t respond well to insults, much less an open challenge. Snarls and growls rose from our throats and quick strides sent us right into her path. Teeth flashed white in the dark, rattling together as my beast reached her first.

She raised her staff in front of her, but the witch didn’t exhibit any signs of fear. The stick hiding her small nose, she smiled and a moment later a red glow engulfed the stick from top to bottom. She gave a minor huff as she thrust it towards me. It struck me on my snout and even my heavy figure was unable to withstand the blast.

I flew back across the forest floor. My view changed from treetops to muddy ground and back as I tumbled. I slammed down into the mud far from my intended target and kept rolling further across the forest floor until my head came to a rest inches from the roots of an elm tree.

“Hotheads are always ready to pounce,” she mocked, wearing a sarcastic smile. “You pups never cease to amuse me.”

One glance around was all it took to see that my brothers had suffered a similar fate to mine as I rose to my feet and growled.

“Shift, Crawford boys,” she commanded. She had a serious expression and her voice was demanding. “I am done playing games with you. There is much we need to discuss.”

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